The restaurant was built with ponderosa pine logs from the Payson area, according to its website. It opened in 1961 and was a popular tourist destination known for its family-style, all-you-can-eat dinners, which featured barbecued ribs, baked beans and other dishes served on old-fashioned tin plates.

The Mining Camp also featured dinner shows at certain times of year, and hosted weddings and other events.

Mouth by Southwest reported the cause of the fire had not been determined, but that the building appeared to be a total loss. There was no word on whether the Mining Camp's owners would rebuild the facility.